Construction at the future Ford BlueOval City site in Tennessee officially began back in September 2022, and it’s already having a positive impact on the surrounding community, both in terms of the number of jobs it’s set to add and a major infusion of infrastructure and other, unrelated investments. Production of an all-new, next-generation EV pickup dubbed “Project T3” is set to kick off at Ford BlueOval City in 2025, but in the meantime, FoMoCo is busy collecting funding for the massive new site, a large portion of which stems from a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loan and the USDA. However, aside from frustration regarding the transfer of land needed to complete this project, it seems as if there are some environmental concerns related to construction as well, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
This concern stems from a bill recently introduced by Collierville representative Kevin Vaughan – whose area includes the future Ford BlueOval City site – which aims to limit state oversight in regards to 430,000 acres of wetlands in Tennessee. The bill specifically takes aim at wetlands that are isolated and have no direct connection to rivers or lakes. Problem is, environmental groups note that these wetlands are needed to help prevent droughts and flooding, and claim that if the bill passes, it could have a tremendous impact on future generations.
“The proposed legislation favors the interests of developers over the safety of future flood victims and pocketbooks of Tennessee taxpayers,” said George Nolan, senior attorney and director of the Southern Environmental Law Center in Tennessee. “Once a developer fills and paves over a wetland, it is gone forever. This is no time to repeal laws that have protected our wetlands for the last 50 years.”
Vaughn argues that current legislation is too burdensome on developers – red tape that costs both time and money – and denies that the passage of the bill could lead to additional flooding. “My district is one that is different from a lot of other people’s districts. We’re in the path of growth,” Vaughan said. This is of particular concern in the town of Stanton and the area surrounding Ford BlueOval City, where developers are buying up properties with the intentions of building stores, homes, and other infrastructure to support the new plant.
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